Carbureter



(No Model.)

D. BEST. CARBURETER.

he. No. 588,381. Patented Aug.`17,1897.

mmmwto ma Nonms Evans co pHoro-mwa.. wAsNlNc'roN, u. c.

III a I m lUivimrnn STATI-js.

PATENT "Ormea DANIEL BEST, OF SAN LEANDRO, CALIFORNIA.

JCARB-URETER. Y

SPECIFICATIONforIning part of Letters IlatentV No. 588,381, dated August 1'7, 1897.

- A. Application filed August 25; 1396 kSerial N0- l603,857. V (No model.)

.To all whom it mayconcen: I y

Be it known that I, DANIEL BEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Leandro, county of Alameda, State of California, have' invented an Improvement in Carbureters for Gas-Engines; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for producing an explosive gas or vapor from hydrocarbons; and it consists of a -novel construction of parts which form the carbureter and in details which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings,forn1ing a p'art of this specification, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of my carbureter on theline ,e z, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is asimilar View on the line w w, Fig. 3. 'Figi 3 is a horizontal section on line x so, Fig.`1. Fig. 4is a similar section on line y y, Fig. l.

The carbureter consists of a series of disks or pans O,having upturned peripheral fl anges, so that they are in the form of shallow pans, which are superposed to a sufficient height to produce the necessarycarbureting-surface. Below the lowermost pa'n is a device for producing the necessary heat to commence `operations before the engineis started. This consists of a series-of furnace-grates I), adapted to receive anylight fuel throughopenings .at

the sides, which are closable by screw-caps or doors P. These caps or doors are opened for the purpose of introducing paper-orfother light fuel, and thus heating up the carbureter to a point where the hydrocarbon oil will be sufficiently vaporized to provide the first charges for the engine or engines whichL are supplied from it. After this is done the doors are closed, and thereafter the hot exhaust from the engine is lsufficient to keep-up the necessary temperature forproducing the explosive vapor. l

' Each of the engines, when more than one is used, exhausts through a separate pipe or passage, these pipes extending up through holes Q, made through the' diaphraglns or pans O, and at the top they deliver up into a common chamber R, the hot exhaust vapors passing thence through screens R', which deaden the force and noise of the exhaust, andthey eventually escape through a discharge pipe or stack R2 at the top.

The oil ,orhydrocarbon from which the vvapor is produced is delivered into the upper part of the apparatus and overflows from one pan to the other through passages S, which are made alternately upon opposite sides of the pans, so that the oil delivered into the upperpan overflows the shallow rim of the opening upon one side of that pan and passes into the next pan, and, flowing thence to the lopposite side of that pan, it will overflow the rim of the passage Sinto the next pan below, andso on alternately from one to the other until all the pans are sufficiently charged with the'liquidto be vaporized. The object of this alternate arrangement of the passages is to prevent the entire overiiowing and loss .of the liquid if the machine-for instance, a road-engine-is passing over irregular surfaces, where the carbureter may be tilted to one side or the other.

It will be seen that when the machine is so tilted that the carbureter stands at a considerable angle to one side the liquid may flow through the passages S, which are upon that side, to the next chambers below; but as these passages are only made on that side through each alternate pan it will be manifest that the intermediate pans will ret-ain the ,liquid inthem and will also receive the surplus overflow from the pans above which are so tilted that they discharge. As soon as the machine is again leveled jup or tilted a little in the otherldirection the iiow will take place through the opposite passages, and thus those pans which have been emptied will be again recharged( Inthis manner it is possible to keep the apparatus at all times properly charged with the hydrocarbon liquid. Surrounding the pans which form these vaporizing-chambers is an exterior casing T,which is situated at a short distance outside of the pans, thus forming anannular chamber and at the top of the chamber and through the upper side of the topmost pan O are openings rI2, through Which the air is admitted into this uppermost pan or chamber.

The lowermost pan or chamber communi- I OO cates with a chamberU, from which the pipes U lead to the cylinder or cylinders, and as the pistons of these cylinders recede from the ends where the inlet-valves are located it will be manifest that a vacuum will be produced, which will cause the air to flow into the casing through the passages T' at the bottom and thence through the passages T2 into the uppermost of the pans forming the carbureter, the air being heated in its passage through the casing. After entering the uppermost of these pans it passes through the openings S from one pan to the other, being carried alternately from one side to the other in the same manner that the oil must pass. In order t0 still further distribute and mix this air with the vapor from the heated oil, I have shown partitions V, extending across each of the pans between the openings S, so that the air passing down through one of these openings will strike the partition as it passes across to the other side and will be diverted around the ends of the partition, which does not cxtend quite to the sides of the pan, but extends entirely to the bottom to make a tight joint at this point, and also extends close to the top, and will thus be thoroughly distributed through the pan before reaching the opening S, through which it escapes to the next pan below. By this means the air is thoroughly and completely charged with the vapor of hydrocarbon and in such proportions as make it explosive7 being thence led, as before described, through the pipes U to the cylinders as needed.

It will be manifest that when more than one cylinder is connected with the carbureter the heat passing up through the pipes Q from the engines will be very considerable, and it may at some times be greater than is necessary for the purpose. I have therefore provided means for diverting a portion of the exhaust of the cylinders and carrying it directly into the chamber R at the top of the carbureter without passing it through the pipes Q within the carbureter. I effect this by means of pipes Q, which connect with the cylinders at points intermediate of their length. This connection is effected through valve-chambers Q2, into which the pipes Q' open. These valve-chambers in turn connect with the interior of the cylinder at a point where they will be exposed when the piston has reached the outer end of its stroke.

The openings into the cylinders are covered by valves XV, having valve-stems IV extending upwardly through the valve-chambers, and these valve-stems have collars movable within a spring-chamber,in which is contained a spiral spring X. This spring presses upon the collar of the stem, so as to normally keep the valve IV closed upon the passage into the cylinder.

The tension of the spring X is regulated by means of a screw Y, which enters the top of the spring-case and presses upon the upper end of the screw. The tension is increased or diminished by turning this screw.

When it is desired to have all of the products of combustion from the cylinder or cylinders pass through the carbureter, the screw will be turned, so that the pressure of the spring will be sufficient to keep the valve W closed and no escape will occur at this point, the piston simply forcing the hot vapors out through the exhaust-valve at the rear end of the cylinder and thence through the pipes Q in the carbureter, as before described.

When it is desired to reduce the temperature of the carbureter, the screw Y is turned to reduce the tension of the spring X enough to allow the valve W to be opened by the pressure of the gas within the cylinder. Then the passage beneath thevalve is uncovered by the movement ofthe piston, the pressure of the gasses within the cylinder will then force the valve open. These gases will escape and will pass out through the valvechamber and the pipes Q into the upper chamber R of the carbureter, thence escaping through the passage R2 without having passed through the carbureter at all.

Whenever the temperature has become so reduced that it is necessary to again pass the gases through the carbureter, it is done by increasing the tension of the sprin,gs,X,so as to prevent the opening of the valves IV:-

The liquid for the carbureter is introduced through suitable pipes leading from pumps, each engine, when more than one isused, having a pump of its own and communicating with the source of supply, so that when thel engines are all running each one will be pumping a stated am ountof the hydrocarbon liquid into the carbureter. any one engine is cut out and is not at work its pump will also be cut out at the samel time and the supply of hydrocarbon liquid will then be introduced by the pumps of the engines which are running, so-that there will always be a supply sufficient for the amount of vapor to be generated for either one or more engines, as the case may be.

Each pump-piston and rod is actuated by the lever which opens and closes the exhaustvalve, and when the governor soacts as to' stop the movement of the lever and hold the exhaust-valve temporarily open the pump@ piston will also be arrested.

W'hen but one engine is used, it should exhaust through a number of pipes or iues Q,; so as to increase the heating-surface and comv pensate for the less amount of hot vapors which are discharged into the apparatus. It' more than one engine is dependent upon-this apparatus, a less number of pipes may be applied.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Asl soon, however, as-

IIO

l. A device for producing an explosive gas l from hydrocarbon liquid, consisting of a series of superposed shallow pans, pipes extending upwardly through openings in said pans and connecting with an engine'cylinder or cylinders, passages through which the hydrocarbon liquid is supplied from above to each of the pans and through which air also passes from above downwardly, said passages consisting of openings made in the pans at one side of the center thereof said openings being alternately upon opposite sides of adjacent pans and having upwardly-projecting rims whereby a body of oil is retained in each of the pans, and a means for supplying air from above to be drawn through said openings, and

connections at the bottom with the enginecylinders.

2. A device for producing an explosive gas or vapor from hydrocarbon liquid, consisting of a series of shallow superposed pans each having an opening lat one side of the center of the pan, with said openings'alternately at opposite sides of adjacent pans, said openings vhaving upwardly-projecting rims whereby a body of hydrocarbon liquid is retained in each of the pans,pipes extending upwardly through V openings in said pans, transverse partitions extending partially across the space in each pan, forming a tight joint therewith at the bottom and extending close up to the top,ran outer jacket or casing surrounding the pans and forming an annular chamber around them, air-inlets at the bottom of the'casing through which air is admitted thereinto, other passages through the uppermost of the oilcontaining paus through which the air is admitted to the interior of the pans, passages connecting the lowermost of the pans with an engine cylinder or cylinders so that theforward motion of the piston will draw a charge of air through the open passages in the pans, said air being charged with the vapor so as to form an explosive compound which is admitted through the inlet-valves into the cylinders with the strokes of the piston, and exhaust-passages connecting withthe pipes which extend upwardly through the pans so as to heat and vaporize the contents to be mixed with the air.

3. In a carbureter for gas-engines, the combination of a series of superposed pans having flanged openings made alternately at opposite sides of the pans, intermediate partitions extending across the pans from nearly one side to thevother, forming close joint at the bottom with the pan and extending close up to the top thereof, whereby the air passing through the openings is distributed over the surface of the liquid in the pans, a surrounding casing with air-inlets delivering air into the uppermost of the pans, connections between the lowermost pan and the enginecylinders whereby the explosive gas or vapor is drawn into the cylinders by the strokes of the piston, exhaust-passages upon each cylinder with pipes extending upwardly through the pans whereby the contents are heated and vaporized when the engine is in operation, supplemental fireplaces situated below the pans and adapted to receive the fuel so that the apparatus may be heated before starting the engines.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DANIEL BEST. Witnesses:

D. H. GLEAsoN, rArrioNIo AUGUST. 

